News Details

Visa Readies Digital Payments for the Projected 500,000 Visitors Traveling to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™

Visa, the Official Payment Service Partner of FIFA, releases travel
and spend datatimed with the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World
Cup Russia™

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
In celebration of the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™,
Visa (NYSE: V), the Official Payment Service Partner of FIFA, released
travel and spending data for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. Throughout
official FIFA venues, Visa will enable a cash-free fan experience by
implementing point-of-sale terminals that accept a Visa credit or debit
card and a range of digital payments, such as those made via phone or
watch.

These enhancements ensure official FIFA venues are equipped with the
latest in payment innovation and are ready for the increase in expected
international visitors to Russia. Based on spending trends and insights
from Visa, it is projected that Russia will host an additional 300,000
to 500,000 international visitors1 during the months of June
and July 2018, on top of a baseline average of 4.3 million total
international visitors2 to Russia during that same time
period over the past four years.

Based on historical data1 from the previous four FIFA World
Cup™ tournaments, Visa projects foreign visitors to Russia will
represent a 6 to 10 percent increase in foreign visitors to the country
in June and July 2018. The largest share of non-native travelers to
Russia are forecast to come from:

Europe (69 percent)

Asia Pacific (12 percent)

Americas (8 percent)

Based on historical data3 from the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Brazil™, Visa anticipates Russia can expect to see an increase in per
traveler spending. On average, visitors attending the 2014 FIFA World
Cup Brazil™ spent 31 percent more3 per card than regular
tourists in Brazil. Visa projects this difference was a result of FIFA
World Cup™ fans spending:

Over 25 percent more at restaurants

Over 10 percent more on transportation

Close to 10 percent more on lodging

“As the Official Payment Service Partner of FIFA, Visa is excited for
fans all over the world to join us in Russia,” said Ekaterina Petelina,
country manager, Visa Russia. “From unveiling the latest payment
innovations to upgrading payment terminals to allow for contactless
cards and digital payments, such as those made via phone or watch,
throughout official venues, Visa will continue to elevate the fan
experience. Visa provides simple and secure payment options for those in
attendance, so they can get back to their seats quickly and focus on the
match.”

Close to 800,000 tickets have been sold so far to the FIFA World Cup
global fan base.

Nearly 50 percent of the ticketing demand is coming from the host
country, Russia, with Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia,
Germany, India, Mexico and the United States making up the largest
number of international requests.

To ensure fans have a seamless and secure payment experience when
attending the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, Visa developed the following
recommended travel tips that fans can take advantage of.

Know Before You Go to Russia

Notify your issuing bank or financial institution of
anticipated travel plans, including use of Visa debit, credit or
prepaid cards abroad to avoid any issues while processing
transactions. Issuing banks can also provide information about
travel-related benefits for Visa account holders, including opt-in
mobile services, such as Mobile Location Confirmation through
your bank’s mobile app or Visa’s Travel Authorization Tag.

Register for SMS notifications with your specific bank, or the
bank’s transaction notification service, to track purchases made on
your Visa accounts as you travel.

Set up automatic bill pay for any credit cards to give you some
peace-of-mind that your account will be current while traveling abroad.

Make two copies of important travel documents, namely your
passport, in case of emergency. Leave one copy with a friend or
relative and carry the other separate from your original documents.
You can also take a photo with your cellphone of important documents.

Travel Tips for Fans in Russia

When paying by card, pay in “local currency” for a competitive
exchange rate.

Use a credit or debit card for purchases. Visa offers security,
convenience and ease when paying abroad. It is safer than carrying
cash.

Whenever possible, pay through a chip-activated terminal when
using your credit or debit card for enhanced security.

Look for the Visa or PLUS logo at any point-of-sale terminal to
ensure international payment cards are accepted.

As the Official Payment Service Partner of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Russia™, Visa will be celebrating the spirit of football in Russia and
is looking forward to showcasing the future of digital payments with
fans from all over the globe. For additional information on Visa’s
sponsorship of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, visit www.visa.com.

Methodology

Visa International Travel (VISIT) platform is a proprietary model that
combines Visa's cardholder data with publicly-available cross-border
arrival statistics. The database provides a comprehensive view into
high-frequency cross-border travel flows, currently encompassing the top
82 origin and destination countries, which collectively account for more
than 80 percent of global travel. VISIT combines unique counts of Visa
cardholders that register a face-to-face transaction at a merchant
outside their home country in a given calendar month with other
transaction data such as average spend per cardholder, card usage
patterns at lodging merchants and others. Visa uses this data to
econometrically model official arrival statistics compiled by various
government sources and to generate estimates that fill in the large gaps
existing in the cross-border travel data.

About Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our
mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable
and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and
economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet,
provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable
of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The
company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid
growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind
the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world
moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products,
people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more
information, visit usa.visa.com/aboutvisa,
visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.

1 Estimate based on the Visa International Travel (VISIT)
platform, 2002-2014.